The couple injured in Wednesday morning’s violent hammer-attack and robbery in Las Cruces are showing signs of improvement.
The 79-year-old woman was released from a local hospital Wednesday afternoon while her 82-year-old husband underwent surgery and remains in critical but stable condition at an El Paso hospital.
Guy Jaime Young, 42, is charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of aggravated burglary, two counts of robbery, three counts of tampering with evidence and one count of unlawful taking of a motor vehicle.
Shortly after 9 a.m. Wednesday, June 11, Las Cruces Police were dispatched to a home on the 800 block of Camino Del Rex where a married couple, husband and wife, were found suffering from multiple injuries. The 82-year-old man was transported to Del Sol Medical Center in El Paso while his 79-year-old wife was taken to MountainView Regional Medical Center.
Officers learned that Young first approached the man who was in his front yard. Young exchanged words with the man before striking him over the head with the hammer. Young then entered the home through an open garage door and approached the woman who was talking on a telephone. Young knocked the phone out of the woman’s hand and struck her over the head with the hammer.
Young demanded the woman hand over money and keys to the couple’s 2003 Ford pickup. Once he obtained cash and keys, he fled the area in the pickup. The woman called 911 and provided a description of the suspect and vehicle. Young and the pickup were located by officers about 90 minutes later at the Travelcenters of America store on Motel Boulevard. He was taken into custody without further incident.
Detectives learned that Young was arrested early Tuesday morning a La Llorona Park after a Dona Ana County Sheriff’s deputy found him in possession of a controlled substance. Young was also found to be in violation of his probation and was booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center. He was released on his own recognizance just before 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Young is now being held on a $500,000 bond.
Information from: Las Cruces Police